Nathan Knautz is a Batavia High School junior. The weekend of January 27, he was invited to the Illinois All-State Choir event in Palos Heights, Ill. People from each of the nine districts were chosen, and Knautz was one of the lucky ones from district nine of ILEMA.

Q: How did you feel about getting invited to All-State?

A: “I didn’t know it was happening, but inside I was freaking out. I didn’t want to tell anyone, but the day after I found out, Mr. Barsch told the whole class.”

Q: When was the first time you ever sang?

A: “Well, in fifth grade, my favorite class was choir, but the first time I was singing on a bigger scale was probably fourth grade. I started to do a lot more solo tryouts with school and stuff like that, so fourth grade up until eighth grade was around the area of school. Freshman year, I was taking voice lessons and going outside to local musical theater groups.”

Q: What’s your favorite part about singing?

A: “My favorite part about singing is probably the community. You never go wrong, since music brings everyone together. When you’re in a choir you emote with everyone else. You feel the music with everyone else and you sing together and it’s almost like no matter our differences we’re all coming together to sing the same thing for the same purpose of making music and sharing it with everyone else.”

Q: Do you plan on continuing singing after high school?

A: “I plan on doing it in college and I am thinking about either majoring in music education or musical theater. I really want to focus on choir, though. I don’t like solo singing as much as I like singing and blending with other people.”

Q: What are your other hobbies?

A: “I do a lot with the band, but not as much as I do with the choir. I play percussion in the top band. I also do a lot of theater and I do the spring and fall shows every year. I try to make the most out of things when I’m not singing, which isn’t often.”